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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — happy
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com